Gilas teammates sad to see Fonacier go

ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines – Members of the Gilas Pilipinas squad were surprised by Larry Fonacier's exit from the training pool even as they make their final push in their preparations for the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain.

Fonacier, who was part of Gilas' “Magic 12” that won silver in the FIBA Asia Championship, has to skip the team’s campaign in the world championship to focus on recovering from his injuries.

Gabe Norwood said that he admires Fonacier’s professionalism. He said his Gilas teammate did not hesitate to give up his spot for the sake of their campaign in the FIBA World and the Asian Games.

“It's tough to hear on last minute especially after he did a great job for us in the past,” said the Rain or Shine player.

“He puts a lot of confidence in us to pick of the slack, we appreciate the honesty. He could have been selfish, he could say 'I still wanna be there even when I know I'm not 100%' [but] he did the professional thing,” added Norwood.

Fonacier’s exit boosted rumors that Paul Lee might take his spot in the final lineup, given Lee’s impressive performance in the recent FIBA Asia Cup.

Lee averaged 14.75 points during their first four games in that tournament and buried the crucial free throws against China to send Gilas to a bronze-medal finish.

LA Tenorio said they aren’t sure about who’s going to make it in the final line up for the FIBA World Cup. But if Lee is called up, Tenorio said he will welcome it.